1. Assess the thermal performance of the house and room
When assessing the thermal performance of a building, both the quality of the building and the technical specifications of the insulation materials used in the building must be taken into account. In private houses with a loft, it’s possible to improve thermal performance in the attic by adding insulation material such as blown or stone wool. Warm air tends to escape through the roof, as shown by icicles on the eaves in winter.
The façade and foundation of the house should be regarded separately. Insulating your house properly can save around 40% on heating costs. Correctly insulating the façade can provide the biggest savings. A poorly insulated foundation also causes significant heat loss. Whilst insulating the entire façade is a rather expensive undertaking, insulating the foundation is usually more affordable.
2. Replace old windows and doors
Windows and doors are also important in improving the energy efficiency of your home. Heat loss from windows is 3–4 times higher than from walls, i.e. the greater the proportion of exterior walls made up of windows, the higher the heat loss. However, the thermal performance of the windows themselves depends on the number of layers of glass, as well as the frames and seals. Simply sealing old windows and replacing broken panes and doors that don’t close properly can improve energy efficiency. However, if the windows and doors are really worn out already, it’s worth considering installing new triple glazing and doors with better thermal performance.
3. Replace the heating system
Solar panels are the best and easiest way to start producing 100% clean energy yourself at your home and thereby save on electricity costs. Savings will come from the electricity price and network charges, as well as from national taxes, while any surplus electricity can be sold back to the grid.
In addition to solar panels, a geothermal heat pump, which is four times more efficient than an electric heater, offers a lower heating price. As a geothermal heat pump uses energy stored in the ground for heating, it’s very environmentally friendly. Geothermal heating also heats domestic hot water more economically than an electric boiler and has a lifetime of up to 25 years. However, it must be kept in mind that the installation of a ground collector requires an area of about 600 m2 around the house, and the installation of the collector requires extensive construction work.
Either an air source or air-to-water heat pump is well suited for smaller heating needs or for supplementary heating. For example, if an average heat pump produces 5 kWh of heat, it uses only 1 kWh of electricity and the rest is free heat from the air. Compared to electric heating, a heat pump saves up to 80% on electricity costs. Although an air source heat pump is the cheapest and simplest way to replace a heating element, it should be noted that it’s more suitable for open-plan rooms. Although air-to-water heat pumps are easier to install compared to geothermal heating, they also require extensive construction work to connect the heat pump to radiators or underfloor heating systems.
Useful tips to reduce your home electricity bill:
Replace your current heating solution with a more cost-effective one, such as an air source heat pump, air-to-water heat pump or geothermal heating.
Unplug the devices that are not currently in use. The energy consumption of devices on standby amounts to up to 10% of the electricity bill.
You can reduce electricity consumption by lowering the temperature of the water heater, (dish) washer, underfloor heating and/or electric heating by a few degrees.
The higher the energy class of a household appliance, the less it consumes electricity. The purchase price of the appliance may be higher, but it’ll pay off in the future.
You could replace ordinary incandescent light bulbs with environmentally friendly and less energy consuming LED bulbs.
If you buy electricity at the exchange price, you can time your consumption to more favourable hours. Many newer appliances and heating sources already do this automatically.
